Norwegian Teen Returns from St. Nicholas’ Birthplace with PTSD

LILLEHAMMER, Norway -- Eager to celebrate the traditional festival of Saint Nicholas Day, a largely European holiday that falls on December 6, teen-aged Santa Claus enthusiast Jurgen Enttauschungsohn traveled from his home in Norway to Turkey, the birthplace of the saint.

“I’s wanteds to honors the Christmas Mans in a deeply personals experience,” Enttauschungsohn said. “I’s hads no ideas whats was in stores for me. I wills nevers be the sames again.”

Saint Nicholas, more formally known as Nikolaos of Myra, was a fourth century saint and bishop in Lycia, which is now part of modern day Turkey. His miracles of intercession and reputation as a gift-giver to the downtrodden earned Nicholas the historic legacy of altruism that led to his current incarnation as Santa Claus.

Enttauschungsohn told reporters that visiting the birthplace of his hero was meant to be the highlight of his lifetime. But when curators led Enttauschungsohn down a series of dank catacombs and into the room bearing Nicholas’ tomb, the teen fell apart.

“Theys showed me this coffin and says it’s the restings place of St. Nicholas,” Enttauschungsohn sobbed. “He’s deads. That’s whats theys meants. Santa Claus is dead. Ands he’s beens deads for thousands of years. Everybodies ins the worlds has lieds to me.”

Enttauschungsohn returned home dejected, disillusioned, and with a dramatic change in behavior that doctors are now calling post traumatic stress disorder.

A family physician overseeing Enttauschungsohn’s care said, “It’s clearly PTSD. This boy has suffered trauma that we generally only see in combat veterans. He no longer trusts those around him and has rejected his family completely. At this point, we have moved him into a mental health care facility where he can convalesce and undergo the necessary therapy. But even then, I’m not sure his trust issues will ever truly abate. It’s a tragedy, to be sure.”